Mechanical cooker



c. H. FULSON MECHANICAL COOKER Fi led Feb. 25, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v Vs/v roe M 4 am July 31, 1923.

c. H. FULSON MECHANI CAL COOKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1921 Wad 31w;

Arman/[m- Patented duly 31, 192

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CHARLES H. FULSOH, OI TEENTON, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR T0 BUCKEYE IRON AND BRASS XVORKSQOF DAYTON, OHIO.

MECHANICAL COOKER.

Application filed February 25,1921. Serial noise-7.73s.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grrannns H. FULsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Cookers, of which the following is a specification, relerence being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to mechanicalcookers, and in particular to an overhead feed for said cookers.

The object of my invention is to provide a means of supplying at predetermined intervals of time a charge of oil bearing material to the top kettle of a plurality of kettles in a mechanical cooker. It is my object to provide an overhead feed which will charge the top kettle when the gate is opened at predetermined intervals. It is my object to provide a feed which will be closed upon the level of the meal in. the top kettle reaching a predetermined desired height.

It will be understood that any desired form of successive dumping of the topmost kettle and the descending series of kettles may be employed, such as that employed in Russell A. Trace Patent No. 1,115,133, where the gates in the bottom of each kettle-are opened in timed relation to each other and closed likewise by the continuous operation of a flexible member carrying a lug thereon.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the top of the mechanical cooker showing the top kettle and a portion of the one next beneath it, as well as the overhead feed mechanism in position just prior to being opened for discharge of meal into the empty top kettle;

Fig. 2, is a similar view showing the mechanism open in its locked position and the kettle starting to fill; and,

Fig. 3, is a plan view of the gate.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a kettle, 2 a kettle just beneath the topmost kettle. On the side of kettle 1 is a bracket 3 that has pivotally mounted on the outer end thereof at 4 a bell crank with arms 5 and 6. The chain 7 is continuously driven by the sprocket 8. Upon this chain is a lug 9 having a projecting shoulder 10. The chain is guided by a guiding member 11.

Connected to 5 as at 12 is a link 13 that is pivoted at 1 1 to a latch arm 15. This latch arm has a slot 16 cut therein in which a pin I Figure 1.

17 travels' 15 is one arm of a bell crank of which the other arm is 18, the crank being plvoted at 19 to a bracket'20. The outer end of 18 has a weight 21 which serves to keep the door in. its closed position as shown in 22 is an exteriorly. located latch arm that has a shoulder 23 to engage with the head of 15.- On the interior of the kettle, shown in dottedlines, is a float 24L rigidly connected to 22 through the pivot 25. Upon the top of the kettle on standards 26 is mounted a feed trough 27 in which a worm shown in dotted lines at 28 turns to deliver meal to a gate 29 through which the meal is discharged into a kettle 1. 30 is the gate which has a guide rod 31 traveling on a rollor 32 at one end and guide rods 33 travel on aroller 34 at the other end. The door travels in a guideway 35 which is a part of the chute 36 from the Worm housing 27 which constitutes the feed trough.

The worm 28 may be driven in any desired way by mechanism not shown as there is no particular claim as to the method of driving this worm.

v 211' ct/wd of 0pemtz'0n.When the top kettle is empty, having discharged its content of meal into kettle 2, the parts will be shown in the position in Figure 1. There will be meal in the container 27 ready for discharge. Asthe lug 10 moves upwardly on the chain 7 it will. come in contact with the end of 6 and rotate the bell crank to the left hand so that the link 13 will move to the left hand 15 until the end of 15 comes in engagement with. the shoulder 23 of 22. This will be done "against the effect of the weight 21 which serves to keep the gate normally closed. The gate is thus opened and the meal discharges into the cooker. During the opening of the gate the rods 31 travel on the rollers 32 and the rods 33 travel on the rollers 34 to guide the gate. The difference in position of 15 with respect to the gate necessitates the movement of the pins 17 in the slot 16 to compensate for such movement.

After this movement has taken place, the parts will assume the position shown in Figure 2. Meal is at that time flowing into the kettle. lVhen it reaches a predetermined height it will lift the float 2 1 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. By doing so it will unlatch the engagement of 15 and 23, allowing the weight 21 to exert its normal force and close the gate, thus stopping any further meal being discharged into the cooker. The lug will have passed by 6 i and gone on its way to make another cycle of operations and to successively open and close the lower kettles.

It will be readily understood that this arrangement permits of the opening of the kettle for the filling of it at predetermined intervals, depending upon the speed of the lug 10 and the speed of the chain which carries it. While the lug is traveling to operate other kettles,-the top kettle will be fillingup and when it reaches a predetermined height, the gate will be allowed to close and to stop the flow of meal.

While I have shown and described certain features as constituting my invention, it will be understood that parts havebeen shown for purposes of illustration only, and that I do not desire to be limited to such details, as obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a cooker, a kettle, means of supplying material to said kettle, means to control the supply of said material in said kettle, means of actuating said controlling means at predetermined intervals, meansfor permitting the controlling means to close when the meal has reached a predetermined height in said kettle, and positive means for effecting the closure of said controlling means independent of the actuating means, whereby a cooker may be filled with material.

2. In a cooker, a kettle, means of deliver.-

a ing a supply of material to the top of'said kettle, a gate to control said supply, means to open said gate at predetermined intervals, means to hold said gate open whenthe meal in the kettle is below a predetermined level until the meal reaches a predetermined level, means to unlock said locking means. when the meal reaches said predetermined level in said kettle, and a weight connected to said gate to effect its closing when it is unlocked after the predetermined level is reached. i

3. In a cooker, a kettle, a continuously moving means, an actuating means carried thereby, a second actuating means carried by said kettle adapted to be operated intermittently by the first mentioned actuating the actuating means at predetermined intervals of time, and closed when said float is raised by meal in the kettle reaching a predetermined height. I

4:. In combination, a kettle, a bell crank carried thereby, a link connected to said bell c rank,a flexible chain, a lug thereon adapted toactuate said bell crank, a second bell crank connected to said link having a locking head on one arm and a weight on the other arm, agate connected to said second bell crank, said gate having fore and aft projections to guide it in its movement, rollers to support said fore and aft projections, a float on the interior of said-kettle connected to an exterior arm witha shoulder thereon adapted to engage the locking end of said secondbell crank, whereby the delivery of meal to said kettle is controlled.

5. In combination in a cooker for oleaginous material, a plurality of kettles, means to deliver material to the topmost kettle through a passage way, closing means for said passage way, means to actuate said closing means to its closed position, means to actuatesaid closingmeans to its open position, means to lock said closing means in its open position until material in the kettle reaches a predetermined point at which it will be unlocked and said means will be closed, mechanically operated means for operating the opening means at predetermined intervals.

In" testimony whereof, I mix my signature. 0

-- cnannns n. FULSON. 

